Archives

News Ticker

The ROC’s representative office in Canada recently signed a letter of intent with Montreal-based McGill University to formally establish the Taiwan Academy’s third contact point in Canada, following the creation of similar contact points at the University of Ottawa and University of Toronto.

A new regulation requiring drivers to turn off their engines if idling for more than three minutes will take effect March 1. The Environmental Protection Administration said it will only monitor and issue warnings to drivers through the end of May during a campaign to raise public awareness of the new rule. From June, violators will be fined between NT$1,500 (US$50.70) and NT$5,000.

A total of 5,923 people were naturalized as ROC citizens in 2011, marking a decline of 23 percent over the previous year’s level, the Ministry of the Interior announced Feb. 25. The main reason for the drop has been a gradual decrease in marriages between ROC nationals and foreigners that began in 2005. Over the past three years, the number of foreign spouses of ROC citizens being naturalized has progressively decreased. The ratio of foreign spouses to persons being naturalized has gradually fallen from a high of 99.3 percent in 2005 to 95.6 percent last year, the ministry said.

A Taiwan team made up of students from Taipei’s Jingmei Girls High School and National Nantou High School won gold in the mixed 600-kilogram event at the World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Perth, Scotland, Feb. 26. The boy’s team had earlier won a gold and a silver in open club events, making for Taiwan’s best showing ever at the games. (SB-THN)